In the case of Marc Guéhi, a momentary spark of uncertainty was understandable. The Crystal Palace centre‑half had shone for England at Euro 2024, cementing himself as a key selection under the previous manager, and his standing remained secure after the caretaker coach’s tenure in the first half of last season.
Then came Thomas Tuchel, and it is worth remembering that this was the coach who had sanctioned Guéhi’s transfer from Stamford Bridge to Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi certainly recalled that. Was Tuchel fancy him? When the new broom brought Dan Burn into the lineup for his debut in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, leaving Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it did not look great.
Tuchel selected Guéhi in the next game, versus Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was not able to pick him for his next gathering in June, which took in the matches versus Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an facial knock during Palace’s historic FA Cup final win against Manchester City.
“I’d say it’s normal for every player to practically doubt that,” Guéhi says, looking back at his absence against Albania. “As you’d expect, fresh coach arriving … who knows what the team’s going to look like, it’s unknown who is going to play?”
The thing Guéhi did next was exactly what he typically does – remain firmly in the present, as composed as he could be. This approach would benefit him during a hectic end to the offseason window when the club chairman, Steve Parish, blocked his planned move to Liverpool.
The following day, Guéhi reported with England for the matches against Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he trained like a demon. Not a soul would have known about any personal doubts. It is difficult not to see that camp and those matches as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the time when he won Tuchel over. The young defender was selected in both and was particularly good in the five-nil win against Serbia, even adding his maiden strike for his country.
The faith works both ways. Tuchel has this ability of bringing players in, of supporting them; it was one of the main reasons why the FA appointed him. “In my view what the gaffer has done is show a lot of faith in each of us,” Guéhi says. “Any time we do get the chance, we aim to display what we can achieve.”
Belief as the Central Idea
Trust is the theme – and not just because Guéhi is the son of a church minister and deeply Christian. England face Wales in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday night before going to Riga to face Latvia in their sixth World Cup qualifying tie next Tuesday and Tuchel has shaped it all with his player choices.
It was, quite, the most remarkable demonstration of support in the players from the last get‑together, those who had traveled to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s tenure. Each of the 24 who are available have been retained – so excluding Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have long-term issues. Or Reece James, who was forced to pull out on Monday because of a more minor one.
Tuchel’s Decisions and Squad Dynamics
His choice to overlook the fit-again Jude Bellingham has led the conversation – to the point that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is also fully recovered, has been rendered as a something of a afterthought.
What must not be overlooked – and what Tuchel hopes won’t be missed – is how he has stood by Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a last-minute addition in September to replace the hurt Adam Wharton, despite Loftus-Cheek having lost his place in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he kept Jarell Quansah, who came in for the unavailable John Stones in September, although the latter now being fit and in the group. Though, Quansah himself was compelled to exit on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
Here is how a coach builds a performance-based culture, how he forges bonds. Tuchel admired the unit supporting the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the bench, and he wanted to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is it even a debate? Tuchel has essentially turned it into one for this session – and he believes in an positive in the signal he has sent. Past accolades will not sway him. Being a good teammate will.
Creating a Strong Unit
It was with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an discussion with his ex England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how egotistical and divided their so-called talented era squad was. The talent was not in question; it was the atmosphere that limited them and Tuchel is set to get this right. He was talking about a “close-knit group” within the team before his first game.
“There isn’t any animosity between anybody,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, Team England. Whatever has gone on in the before or whatever is going on in the campaign, you leave that aside. You come here, these become your closest allies, your colleagues, the players that you go to war with for as long as you’re here.
“The environment is always great when we’re here. The football association, past coaches and the players themselves, the staff, have performed a excellent job at fostering an spirit. Additionally, it depends on the individuals to actually embrace that. I think every single person has accepted that superbly because I enjoy immensely being here and I am sure the rest of the lads feel the same, too.”
Future Focus
That which Tuchel expects against Wales is a performance that stirs the Wembley crowd. Those against Albania and Latvia were steady sufficient; the victories welcome, the initial progress on the road to the World Cup next year. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Can the side build on the cut and thrust they displayed in Serbia? The final words belong to Guéhi.
“For me, worrying is a normal human emotion,” he says about not playing against Albania. “But I was selected in that group. It means that the manager has chosen me for this opportunity and if I’m playing or not I’ll always support the team.
“So for me, worrying can be a waste of time. You don’t have many moments on this earth. I’d rather be excited and focused and assist the people that I can – or improve personally – by striving to be the best that I can be rather than stressing.”
